Traditional and Alternative Therapies in Cancer Treatment

According to the National Cancer Institute, over 1.6 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in 2015.  And for those fighting cancer, the thought and experience of undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments is incredibly intimidating – perhaps even terrifying.  It is a well-known fact that the majority of current cancer treatment methods and drugs are actually poisonous toxins designed to attack and kill cancer cells.

The extreme downside of these treatments is that the poisons in these therapies do not limit their attacks to just the cancer cells; they attack the body’s healthy cells too.  The result? Patients undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer treatments typically suffer horrific side effects in addition to the devastation the cancer itself is already inflicting on their body.  Exhaustion, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, difficulty sleeping, extreme weight loss, and hair loss are but a few of the harmful reactions to mainstream cancer treatment.

Thankfully, there is frequently breaking news on new and innovative research and treatments of this deadly disease.  Molecularly Targeted Therapy was recently revealed for treating a rare form of leukemia. In essence, it is a concoction of drugs designed at the molecular level of the cell.  The drugs are tailored to recognize the molecules unique to certain types of cancer, and attack only those cells.  This is exciting news for patients and doctors fighting the obliterating effects of mass doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  Oncologists and cancer researchers are extremely hopefully that Molecularly Targeted Therapy could soon be a model for similar drugs to fight and treat many different types of cancer which currently affect thousands of people.

But the question remains, what can cancer sufferers do NOW to help curtail the ravaging side effects of cancer treatment, and potentially enhance the healing process?  Many alternative and/or complementary therapies are modalities which take a more spiritual or holistic approach.

The University of Health & Spiritual Sciences (UHSS) operates on the philosophy that healing begins with the self. As a person learns more about their own spirit, mind and body, they will experience an inner balance, health and vitality.  The UHSS is continually creating a new generation of health and wellness practitioners who ‘walk the talk’. Practitioners are inherently healthy in their own beliefs, practices and daily lives.  At the UHSS, the philosophy that cancers of the body begin to disrupt a person’s spirit and soul before they actually begin attacking the physical body.  The UHSS treats health and wellness with a spiritual-scientific approach.

The Mayo Clinic has also published research that while some alternative cancer treatments can be unproven and even dangerous, there are a number of alternative treatments which are generally safe, and may be beneficial in fighting cancer, and in coping with the harrowing side effects of treatment.  Of course, a discussion of all treatment options and strategies with your doctor is critically important.  Achieving a healthy balance between traditional and alternative treatments is essential.  The Mayo Clinic has listed 10 alternative/complementary modalities to fighting and cancer and overcoming the side effects of traditional therapies:

• For Anxiety:  Hypnosis, massage, meditation and relaxation techniques
• For Fatigue:  Exercise, massage, relaxation techniques. and yoga
• Nausea:  Acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis, and music therapy
• Pain:  Acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis, massage, and music therapy
• Sleeplessness:  Exercise, relaxation techniques, and yoga
• Stress:  Aromatherapy, exercise, hypnosis, massage, meditation, tai chi, and yoga

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